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Cross Keys
A welcoming historic pub in the heart of Harpenden
The Cross Keys occupies the site of a former guest house owned by Westminster Abbey until the 13th century.
The Cross Keys, circa 1930. Credit: LHS archives – B 2.62
The name “Cross Keys” dates from the 1760s, when brewer Thomas Kinder owned the property and landlord Thomas Edwards renamed it from “The White Hart.”
In 1828, Henry Oldaker, an avid huntsman, became innkeeper of the Cross Keys. After an accident, he moved to The Bull, where he helped establish the Harpenden Races. Horse racing flourished in the early nineteenth century, with events held on Harpenden Common during the 1830s and 1840s.
Ernest Hasseldine – Cock Pond and the Cross Keys, circa 1920. Credit: LHS archives – B 2.59
In the early 1920s, Hertfordshire’s first petrol pump, operated by Fred and Arthur Putterill, was sited on the green outside the Cross Keys.
The Cock Pond – 1908. Credit: LHS archives – HC 18
Reports of ghostly monks at the pub date back to around 1960, when a relief manager first claimed to see them. Over the years, landlords and guests have described a series of unexplained events, including spinning ashtrays and disappearing household objects, adding to the pub’s enduring reputation for paranormal activity.
The Cross Keys in the 1960s.
Our semi-circular bar showcases a distinctive pewter countertop and handpump bases, one of only a few of its kind found across the country.
Illustration of the pewter countertop. Artist unknown.
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